This invention relates to devices for cleaning air and, more particularly, air cleaning devices in close association with toilets for eliminating malodor.
Most people have considered their excremental functions private, and reserve these events to small closed rooms. While private, these small rooms lack the cleansing breezes of a more natural setting. Attempts to compensate for this deficiency include windows and ventilating fans. Because sulfur is capable of counteracting malodor, methods have been employed using sulfur. Some of the simpler methods include lighting matches and candles.
While effective, these techniques are not always possible. Many times, the toilets are placed with no access to the outside. In these situations, ducting is required to exchange fresh air with the tainted air. This can be expensive and the ventilation may be slow since the offensive odor is diffused throughout the room and generally evacuated through a small duct. This is less than ideal, since persons in the room will be subjected to the offensive malodor for prolonged periods of time. Other situations that do not permit open windows or the use of matches is in the very small rest rooms of airplanes. Obviously, windows cannot be opened and federal regulations prohibit the use of matches in airplane rest rooms. Furthermore, the odoriferous air cannot simply be vented outside the aircraft, and certainly cannot be vented into the passenger compartment.
To overcome the problems associated with venting the closed rooms, commonly referred to as bathrooms, containing the toilet, devices directly associated with the toilet have been developed which filter the malodor from the air. Typically, many of the various devices require extensive modifications to be made to the toilet, or a toilet constructed to specification in order to remove the odiferous air. These modifications include specially constructed toilet seats with air passages, lids and/or bowls.
After the foul air is drawn from the bowl, it is then necessary to provide treatment devices packaged in a manner that will not detract from the decor of the bathroom. No matter how attractively the exhaust and deodorizing devices are housed, they remain a distraction and are often a nuisance. Generally, these devices are not esthetically pleasing, being large bulky and positioned on the floor next to the toilet. These devices, so placed are tasteless and detract from the overall decor of a bathroom as well being obstructive. Many require an electrical outlet as a power source, which may or may not be conveniently to hand.
Given these and other deficiencies in the art, there is a need for a new and useful ventilating and deodorizing toilet, and new and useful ventilating and deodorizing apparatus for use with toilets that, among other things, are easy to construct, easy to install with toilets, simple to maintain, energy efficient, and easy to replace.
The above problems and others are at least partially solved and the above purposes and others realized in a toilet including a toilet bowl having a rim bounding a mouth. An attached toilet seat confronts the rim and an attached odor collector is capable of moving air from the toilet bowl through the mouth and deodorizing the air. Shield structure is disposed between the toilet seat and the rim inhibiting air from transferring between the toilet seat and the rim and channeling air from the toilet bowl to the odor collector. The odor collector includes an inlet disposed proximate the mouth of the toilet bowl and an outlet, an impeller disposed between the inlet and the outlet, an air flow path between the inlet and the impeller, a filter disposed at the air flow path between the inlet and the impeller, a power source capable of supplying power to the impeller, and a switch capable of activating the impeller. The filter is a framework supporting charcoal cloth material. The toilet seat is pivoted, either to the seat or to the odor collector, between a first position confronting the rim and a second position away from rim. The shield structure is carried by the toilet seat, but it can be carried by the rim of the toilet if desired. Preferably, the switch is a sensor that is capable of sensing objects and activating the impeller in response thereto. A pivoted lid is also provided, which is capable of pivoting between a first position away from the toilet seat and a second position toward the toilet seat. In a particular embodiment, the odor collector is carried by the lid.